Issue link: http://southshoremagazine.uberflip.com/i/1362361
some of the most amazing, but also most vulnerable, among us. If you are interested in learning more, visit their website at roadtoresponsibility.org, like their Facebook page or call 781.834.1300. 19 TheSouthShoreMagazine.com backgrounds, to provide a forum for education and to support social justice. Ultimately, discrimination of any type goes against our core Mission since the people we serve have long been victims of discrimination, misunderstanding and diminished expectations within the broader society. Thankfully, things are continuing to change in a positive manner and we hope our Diversity initiative will help further that momentum." Understanding and celebrating people's differences and traditions go a long way toward Making Lives Better, which is RTR's mission statement. 62% of RTR's employees are minorities and they come from 34 different countries, the flags of which are on display in the training room. RTR's diversity council recently created a newsletter, Diversity Digest, which discusses spirituality, current events, human rights and discrimination. It also contains interviews with staff and individuals, shining a spotlight on their heritage, including language, music, holidays, recipes and customs. The Diversity Digest can be viewed on RTR's website under the "Who We Are" tab, "Diversity and Inclusion." During Black History Month, the Diversity Digest team highlighted #TheJourney of black history's past, present and future by celebrating Phillis Wheatley, the first published black poet, black-owned South Shore businesses, Kamala Harris and more. #TheJourney continues in March, I/DD Awareness Month, with stories about people with intellectual disabilities who broke through barriers, including some of RTR's own individuals. RTR will also look at its own past, where it is now, and its vision for the future. "We look to the past to help avoid repeating mistakes as we move into a future that will be brighter the more we can embrace, unite and direct the efforts, experiences and ideas of all people in our community" says White. Over the past year, an unfathomable pandemic, racial injustice and civil unrest have created much hardship and heartbreak. Through it all, RTR has both weathered through and risen above, continuing to Make Lives Better with leadership, inclusion, education, integrity, hard work and a passionate commitment to the safety and well-being of its individuals and staff. Most of all, RTR never wavers from its belief that everyone deserves to live a full and dignified life. RTR is a full-service nonprofit that provides homes, jobs, therapeutic day supports and a community for over 1,300 individuals from more than 100 different cities and towns in Massachusetts. With almost 800 employees, RTR is one of the largest employers in the region. Innumerable families depend on these employees to provide care, therapy and housing to their loved ones. There are many ways to get involved with RTR, such as through employment, individual and corporate volunteering, donating, and attending its annual Making Lives Better Gala, which will take place this year on Thursday, September 23rd. When you support RTR, you get to be part of something bigger than yourself and you get to be part of an organization that serves